The Midtown Renovation project is moving forward as expected, with work beginning in July to expand and improve areas for research and quiet study at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. The Library shared plans for the building in late 2017, and—based on feedback from the public and staff—prioritized the construction of a second floor “scholar center” that will include a mix of quiet study spaces, seminar spaces, and reading rooms for researchers. The work—which will also include upgrades to power, data, and lighting, the restoration of historical features, and the replacement of non-original elements with historically sympathetic materials—will begin on July 16.
Construction will take place in a central corridor on the second floor that currently includes staff spaces, a small number of public tables, and the Shoichi Noma Reading Room. The corridor will be closed until September 2019 to accommodate the construction, most of which will take place when the building is closed to the public.
During this temporary situation, the Library will add public seats to the Salomon Room, and Shoichi Noma researchers will be moved to the Wertheim Study.
The next phase, which will start next year, will bring improvements to all of the building’s public restrooms.
